This invention relates to a footnoted document prepared by a word processing application program, and more specifically, to managing lengthy footnotes which extend beyond the page where they are first referenced.
Several prior art word processing application programs which are commercially available have the ability for handling footnotes. Typically, these programs run on digital computers such as microprocessor-based machines (also known as personal computers) and minicomputers. An operator (user) provides textual input to the program usually via a typewriter keyboard. The text received as input by the program is subsequently displayed and various editing capabilities are permitted for changing the displayed text or adding new text. As is the normal procedure, the operator types in the main body text of the document being produced until a footnote reference point is reached. At the footnote reference point, a menu is called from which a footnote task is selected. This causes the display to change to a footnote text display and the operator then types in the footnote text. Various editing capabilities are also available for changing the footnote text being displayed or for adding new footnote text. The operator can then recall the body text display and continue typing further body text until the next footnote reference point is reached.
After all the body and footnote texts have been entered into the program, the operator then selects an operation which causes the program to assemble all body and footnote texts into respective pages of a final output document. This output document can be displayed for any further review and editing as desired before printing.
This arrangement is satisfactory if all referenced footnotes fit on the bottom of an output page of the output document. However, problems may arise when a footnote is lengthy and its entire text does not fit on the page where it is first referenced. As further explanation, there is a general rule of document style that all footnotes should appear on the same page containing the body text where they referenced. In the situation where a first footnote is referenced and only part of the footnote text fits on the remaining lines available on that page, it is known to continue the remaining footnote text on as many subsequent pages as needed to complete the footnote. If a second or additional footnote references are also on the same body text line containing the first footnote reference, the text of these other footnotes will not appear on the same page where they are referenced. This violation of the general rule of style can also result if a line of body text contains several footnote references and the text of an intermediate footnote fills the page so that the remaining footnotes must therefore appear on some other page or pages.
Another problem which can occur relates to lengthy footnotes having text that require more than two pages to complete. One particular prior art word processing application program will complete the footnote text on as many pages as needed and then continue with body text on the page having space for that body text. However, this arrangement violates a preference of many users who would like to have body text appearing on each and every page (except the last page) of the final document regardless of the amount of associated footnote text in those pages.
In other prior art word processing programs, body text is always on every page because they place a maximum line limitation on each page for footnote text. As can be understood, this arrangement can still result in footnotes not appearing on the page where referenced if the text of a footnote continued from a previous page exhausts the maximum line limitation of the present page. Alternatively, the text of a footnote referenced on the present page can also exhaust the maximum line limit preventing any remaining footnotes referenced on the present page from being included on that page.
Accordingly, even though prior art word processing application programs are satisfactory for handling many situations relating to footnotes, there is a need for an improved program which avoids certain style violation problems associated with lengthy footnotes. In particular, it is desirable for all footnotes to at least begin on the page where they are referenced and for all pages of the final document to include some body text.